


The Cousin Wore Black

by strawberrylace



Series: Forty Weddings and Maybe a Couple of Funerals [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben has to make everything difficult for rey, Cousins, F/M, Tumblr Prompt, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-13 12:36:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17488169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrylace/pseuds/strawberrylace
Summary: Rey just wants the perfect wedding...too bad her emo cousin Kylo has to make things difficult.





	The Cousin Wore Black

**Author's Note:**

> So the following was inspired by a couple of sentences I've found from a prompt regarding weddings. I decided to use these in my latest installment! Also, this may not be a typical wedding one shot, but I wanted to try something different. I hope you all enjoy!! 
> 
> "Can I wear black to a wedding?"  
> "You can't wear black to a wedding!"  
> "Can you act a little more enthusiastic, please?"

It was the night before Rey's wedding and she was sitting on the bed in her Aunt Leia's guest room, looking at old wedding family wedding photos. She marveled at how gorgeous and intricate Leia's dress looked on her wedding day, with the lacy sleeves and the beading all over the bodice. It may not have been Rey's style, but she could appreciate it's beauty. The photos of her grandparents were very old and faded, to be handled carefully with each turn of the page. There were no wedding photos of her parents, for her dad, Luke, and her mom had a quickie Vegas wedding. It was not much of an affair, as the only people present were her aunt Leia and her uncle Han. The marriage did not last long, for her mother passed away when she was a baby. In a way, tomorrow was going to be quite bittersweet, but Rey tried to think of the positives. She was marrying a smart, kind lawyer with a heart of gold. The wedding was going to perfect, from the picturesque vineyard venue to the flowers. Rey's wedding was going to be an affair to remember...as long as her cousin behaved himself.

If it were up to Rey, she wouldn't have Ben in her wedding. Not because he was a troublemaker, but rather because of his so-called "emo" outlook on love. Everything to him was all about doom and gloom. She tried to be patient with him when he'd roll his eyes about the little wedding details, she even allowed him to recite a reading at the ceremony. But there seemed to be no use in getting him out of this strange funk. She loved him dearly but her frustration with his lack of enthusiasm seemed to reach a limit. 

"Hey, can I come in?" 

Rey looked up to see Ben hunched over at the doorway. His black, inky hair was brushed away from his face, his brown eyes looking dull underneath the dimly lit room. She gave him a silent nod as he made his way into the room and sat down next to her on the bed. He had been on his best behavior today, making polite small talk with the groomsmen during the rehearsal dinner and didn't make any faces during her dad's speech at dinner. Perhaps she needed to give him the benefit of the doubt that he was starting to come around.

"You nervous?" Ben asked. 

"Not really," said Rey. "I've been looking at these wedding photos of Aunt Leia and Uncle Han and they look so happy. I can't believe Han used to have all that hair back then!" 

Ben looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Yeah, my dad was something." 

"What's up? You've been acting quite...polite today." 

Ben shrugged. "As opposed to what? My cousin is getting married tomorrow to a wonderful man. Why would I not be acting polite?" 

"Because you hate love and all things adjunct to it." 

"I don't hate love! I just find the idea of it to be quite antiquated and overrated for someone like myself." 

"That's stupid." 

"Can I wear black to a wedding?"

Rey slammed the book shut and looked at her cousin gobsmacked. "Ben, are you insane? You can't wear black to a wedding! Especially when it happens to be MY wedding! And besides, the suits that were picked out for the groomsmen should suffice!"

"Have you seen them? They're forest green! Who wears forest green to a wedding?" 

"It is classic and sophisticated!" 

"Tuxes are supposed to be black!" 

Rey didn't have time for such a childish argument, especially the night before her wedding."You're insane is what you are! I don't know why I even asked you to be in my wedding if I knew you were going to be so dramatic." 

"I'm only asking you a question! No need to get so upset over this." 

Rey scoffed."Can you act a little more enthusiastic, please? The whole time, you've been nothing but a buzzkill about this wedding. You may not think this but you've found a way to completely make this all about you."

Ben disregarded his cousin's remarks. He didn't think he was making this all about him. If anything, all of the attention had been focused on Rey, so in his eyes, he didn't see what she had to make such a big deal over. However, Rey could see that there was something bigger going on with Ben. She knew him better than anyone else. 

"Ben, what's wrong?" Rey asked. 

Ben flinched as his cousin tried to reach out for his shoulder. 

"I always thought," Ben paused, trying to find the words. "I always thought that it was going to be me and Armitage walking down the aisle. He would've had this whole color scheme picked out, right down to the color of shoes the wedding party would wear." Ben was quiet, thinking back on his doomed relationship, the one that got away. "I wonder if perhaps if we had met a month earlier or a year sooner, the timing would've been perfect. Or maybe I really was in the wrong with assuming he would propose to me. You give someone so much of your time and for what? To not be good enough for them in the end?"

Rey and Ben sat together in an uneasy silence. She remembered Armitage, how happy he made Ben. Everyone thought they were going to be the first to get married but the breakup blindsided everyone. It had been five months but it had seemed like it was yesterday that Ben announced that Armitage run off to Ireland without a proper goodbye. It truly crushed Ben and to see his cousin plan this wedding on such a whirlwind, well, who could blame them for having such a sour outlook. 

"Ben," she said comfortingly, "you're going to find someone amazing who will love you. Maybe not tomorrow, but it's going to happen and when you do find that person, I think you'll believe in love again."

Ben smiled weakly at his cousin's comforting words. For someone so young, Rey really was wise beyond her years. He really hoped that what she said was true, but deep down, she knew that she was right. 

"Thanks Rey," said Ben, giving her a side hug, "I'm sorry that I've been such an ass about this whole thing. You know I'm happy for you and you deserve nothing but happiness. I'm glad one of us finally found it." 

"You will too. Now, we should get some rest. I've got a lot to do tomorrow." 

"Of course. So I'm guessing that's still a no for the black at a wedding?" 

Rey threw a pillow at Ben, which was his cue that it was time for bed. It was good for them to clear the air, for they really did care for one another. As much as Ben annoyed her, Rey really wanted him to be happy. He would find what she has one day, she was certain of that.


End file.
